How to Create a Practical and Beautiful Utility Room

Utility rooms are the unsung heroes of modern interior design. They may be small but they keep unsightly muddy boots, appliances and clutter out of the way of your main living space, almost like a secret behind-the-scenes area.

With the popularity of today’s open plan living, this is becoming ever more crucial. You don’t want your guests to see your laundry drying or have to shout above the noise of the washing machine during dinner – and it’s great to have an extra space to whisk those dirty dishes away to.

Out of sight, out of mind!

The practicality of a utility room can be a real life-changer, even in the smallest of spaces, but to really work they need to be well thought-out. Badly designed spaces become unusable and chaotic, whereas clever storage and great design can create a utility room that really works for you and your home.

Step 1: Make a plan

The best way to start designing your utility room is to think about what you want to use the room for and work backwards from there.

Want to have a space for washing and drying clothes? A place for washing dishes and storing kitchen items? Or maybe you need somewhere to hose down muddy dogs (or children)?

Which function, or functions, will improve your life the most?

Step 2: Size up your space

Once you know what you want to use your new utility room for, you can decide on the best space for it. In an ideal world, it will be located next to an external door with easy access to services such as drainage for waste water. Many people find it most useful to have their utility room next to the kitchen but that’s not essential – a utility room could be a great way to utilise some un-used cellar space, or could even be located in a disused bedroom.

Step 3: Draw up your design

When space is minimal, you need to utilise every square inch of it. Ideas like stacking your washing machine and tumble drier on shelves on top of each other, opting for tall units, and using foldable wall mounted drying racks (or even a pulley maid on the ceiling) can help you fit a surprising amount into a small space!

Wall units, coat hooks and shoe storage can also be useful – and do consider placing an extractor fan in your utility room to help combat damp.

Save your pennies for more visible rooms and opt for simple but functional units. Consulting a professional team at this stage can open your eyes to storage solutions and designs you might not have considered.

Step 4: The finishing touches

Just because your utility room is a practical space, that doesn’t mean it can’t look good too. After all, you still want to be in a pleasant environment while you’re doing the laundry!

It is worth choosing a durable Eggshell paint that can be wiped clean for utility rooms. Similarly, when you’re thinking about your flooring, choosing tiles or moisture-proof laminates will make mopping much easier.

Other than that, choose whichever colour schemes appeal to you, whether you want to create a calm oasis of muted tones or a small pop of bright colour. You could read our blog post on choosing colours [http://www.granit.co.uk/introducing-colours-and-textures-to-your-home/] to give you some ideas on how to get the right blend for your home